Мертвые души
Chapter 3
Theyhavesetup‘offices’andfactoriesandschoolsand‘commissions,’andthedevilknowswhatelsebesides.Afinelotofwiseacres!AftertheFrenchWarin1812theyhadtoreconstructtheiraffairs:andseehowtheyhavedoneit!YetsomuchworsehavetheydoneitthanaFrenchmanwouldhavedonethatanyfoolofaPeterPetrovitchPietukhnowranksasagoodlandowner!”
“Buthehasmortgagedthewholeofhisestate?”remarkedChichikov.
“Yes,nowadayseverythingisbeingmortgaged,orisgoingtobe.”Thissaid,Kostanzhoglo’stemperrosestillfurther.“Outuponyourfactoriesofhatsandcandles!”hecried.“Outuponprocuringcandle-makersfromLondon,andthenturninglandownersintohucksters!TothinkofaRussianpomiestchik49,amemberofthenoblestofcallings,conductingworkshopsandcottonmills!Why,itisforthewenchesoftownstohandleloomsformuslinandlace.”
“Butyouyourselfmaintainworkshops?”remarkedPlaton.
“Ido;butwhoestablishedthem?Theyestablishedthemselves.Forinstance,woolhadaccumulated,andsinceIhadnowheretostoreit,Ibegantoweaveitintocloth—but,markyou,onlyintogood,plainclothofwhichIcandisposeatacheaprateinthelocalmarkets,andwhichisneededbypeasants,includingmyown.Again,forsixyearsonenddidthefishfactorieskeepdumpingtheiroffalonmybankoftheriver;wherefore,atlast,astherewasnothingtobedonewithit,Itooktoboilingitintoglue,andclearedfortythousandroublesbytheprocess.”
“Thedevil!”thoughtChichikovtohimselfashestaredathishost.
